Drenched In White
by Shenna.Tenebris
Summary: To be frank, Kishou knew shit about how to raise a child, much less a child that was born from a breeding project that aims to create killing machines. Kishou himself was raised that way, the way of a killing machine. And he was sure he could never bring himself to raise his son in such inhumane ways. He didn't want his son to be like him. prequel of Hoping For More Good Days
1. The Garden

"Arima Kishou is such a talented young soldier, he is, without doubt, the best in the Sunlit Garden."

"Indeed, it would be more beneficial for the kingdom if we had a thousand more of him."

"That is actually a great idea! I can already see it! His offsprings running around and serving our kingdom!"

"Oh, why don't we make it happen now then?"

And, an inhumane breeding project was born.

\--o0o--

The Garden saved you, gave you food, protected you and put a roof over your head. Therefore your mind, body and soul belongs to the Garden, you are to obey every order given, no question asked.

And an even better version: live for the Garden, die for the Garden.

They were taught those rules from a very young age. Drilled into their heads, pounded into their skulls, carved onto their minds.

Kishou once did believe those trashes, for he was nothing outside the Garden. He was no beloved soldier outside of the Garden, there will be no one willing to feed him for free, no bed to sleep in and no roof to shield him from the rain.

It's true that the children of the Garden don't need to pay money for food and protection, because it was already paid by their freedom and the children themselves.

Once a child in the garden was ten years old, they were brought outside for a "tour" of the world. They were allowed to travel the world on their own for ten days.

Actually, they were brought outside to experience the cruelty of the world, supervisors from the Garden would make sure to put the child in the poorest part of the kingdom, where a child would never receive any help. And according to their plan, that child would be robbed, beaten and experience hell in ten days. The purpose of this is to make children afraid of the world and "love" the Garden more.

Arima Kishou was special, he always obey every order, no question asked, no stupid tantrums, eating problem like other children, he was everyone's favorite. So when he was ten, he was given a special privileged.

The supervisors put him into a medium part of the kingdom instead of the poorest. That had been the Garden's first mistake.

He did not experience the cruelty of the world, rather, he knew about human emotions for the first time.

He met Fura Taishi, a peasant boy. Long story short, they became friends. He had some what liked "emotions". But it seems that it only appears when he is with Fura Taishi, it is like a warm air that spreads around his chest area.

It didn't appear again after he had returned to the Garden. Fura had made him promise that he would come back, he did promised, but he doesn't know if he could ever fulfill it .

Through the years, Arima Kishou, the obedient child, has grown into Arima Kishou, the obedient young soldier. Arima was no longer unaware of the Garden's true nature.

Because he was always obedient, Arima had been allowed to do whatever he liked in his free time. He chose to snuck out through a small abandoned passage that led to the outside world.

And he read. He read every books he could get his hands on. With enough amount of knowledge, and a brain as big as his, it was not difficult for him to figure out the Garden's true nature.

The Sunlit Garden was a child soldier system in the shell of an orphanage funded by the government. That is why children of the Sunlit Garden often have direct entry into the military. Actually, when children of the Garden turn eighteen, they will be sent off to serve the military and the kingdom.

It was the royal family - The Washuu's plan all along. A child soldier system to build an army full of merciless killing machine.

Since the orphanage was funded by the government, no one suspected any thing when the children of the Sunlit Garden apply for the military.

Kishou wasn't ignorant, he wasn't air-headed like everyone in the Sunlit Garden had thought. He was drinking in every detail at any given moment, through the books he had read, he knew that information was vital. So he began to learn the art of reading between the lines, he paid more attention to people's body languages and their speaking patterns, small acts that usually went unoticeable. Before he knows it, Kishou was already a master at reading people.

So when the head doctor of the Garden dropped by his room unannounced, Kishou immediately knew that something was up. The man was in a good mood, likely because he got a promotion. But it was not his business, Kishou didn't care anyway, the head doctor was a vile creature in the shape of a human.

"Good evening, doctor."As much he was disgusted by this man, Kishou still had a loyal dog act to keep up.

"Good evening, Arima, how are you doing my boy?"

"I'm good, doctor."

"That's great, then."

The doctor's smile was more eerie than usual, it seems like whatever schemes they are planning would involve Kishou.

And his suspicion was right.

"As much as I would love to have a chat with you, we are running on a short schedule here."

Having sensed his confusion, the doctor seemed a bit surprised,"We're you not notified of the project?"

"What project?"

"Arima my boy, you are to participate a special breeding project as the sperm donor."


	2. Ken

Kishou sat alone in the infirmary's deserted hall way. After his small talk with the doctor, he had found out that the Garden planned to make more elite child soldier through a breeding project.

Specifically, the Garden wanted to make more Arima Kishous.

And what's the best way to make a child have all his powers? It's easy, really, he's going to be the sperm donor. That way, the child will have most of his genes, the rest is simple math.

They said that they had chosen a lady with fine genetics that is likely to be compatible with his own, so the offspring will inherit the best genetics that their parents can offer.

To be fucking frank, he will be forced to rape someone so that the Garden can benefit a baby with superior warrior gene out of it.

He didn't know how to feel about this. Not shocked, because he was used to the Garden's lack of morals and cruelty. Disgust might be the exact word.

To force a teenage boy reproduce was simply disgusting. He was not informed about the age of the lady that will participate the project with him, since they won't be seeing each other again after today, but he pitied the person greatly. Since women were always the one at disadvantage in the reproduction process.

He was snapped out of his thought when the door next to his seat opened, the head doctor stepped out of the room. It seems that the man was done with "the preparation", as he put it.

To Kishou, their "preparation" meant that the woman was completely sedated and helpless.

"The preparation was done, we have monitored her cycles to ensure the time period with best pregnancy chances. She was also quite a looker, I must say I'm quite jealous of you, anyway, go inside and enjoy yourself Arima."

Again, this man reminded Kishou why he found him disgusting. He wanted to be anywhere but here, commiting such an inhumane and disgusting act. He wanted to stab this man's eyes with IXA - his famed sword, then torture him by cutting bits and bits of his skin, not too lethal to die but extremely painful. He wanted to destroy the Garden, bring death upon the Washuu and make them pay for what they had done to the children in the Garden.

But he could do no such thing, he was powerless. One couldn't start a rebel alone. And not to menion, destroying an empire as acient and powerful as the Washus would be nearly impossible.

And as smart as Kishou was, he was still unclear of how to break this wretched system.

So as this moment, Kishou could do nothing but obey.

And he was right about their "preparations".

That woman, who was going to participate in the project with him, was strapped to the medical bed. She didn't had any clothes on her, obviously, considering what she was forced to do.

What took him by surpise was the woman was conscious. He had thought that she would be given some type of sedative, turns out she wasn't.

If they had made her sleep, it would be less painful for her both mentally and physically.

Sick bastards.

When the woman noticed that he was in the room, silent tears began to roll down her face, soaking the pillow. Her eyes screamed for help, begging him to not do what he was ordered to do.

Kishou couldn't help but pity the woman and disgusted with himself. At least, he will make it less painful to the woman.

So he knocked her out, and proceeded to do what he was supposed to do. He didn't kiss her, he didn't touch anywhere on her body aside from the vagina. He did what was needed to be done and left.

To say doctor Jibari was surpised would be a lie, the woman - Mikiko, who was supposed to reproduce with Arima Kishou, didn't even had a bruise on her body or a hickey. Her body was untouched aside from the vagina.

It wasn't surprising to him because he didn't expect a guy as emotionless as Arima Kishou to be interested in sexual acts. The woman had been unconscious when Jibari entered the room to confirm that Arima Kishou did do what he was ordered to. They didn't give her any sedatives, and judging from the lack of bruise on her body, Arima Kishou knocked her out.

Maybe it was to make it less painful to that woman? Such a gentlement indeed, even when he was forced to rape her.

\--o0o--

It was a month later that Kishou received the news, the woman was pregnant with his child.

Kishou has been experiencing a heavy feeling in his stomach since that day, according to some books, it was called guilt. He felt guilty because he had done a horrible thing to the woman.

Once his child was born, heavy expectations would be put on the child's shoulder, surpassing its father might be the only goal in its life, and of course, be a perfect tool for the Garden and the replacement for its father when he was too old to fight.

Just thinking about it made his stomach churn.

\--o0o--

And nine months later, Kishou was called in by the nurse, he just got back from an assassination misson, the target's blood was still warm on his clothes. Then a bundle of something heavy wrapped in white cloths was pushed into his hands.

The thing has slightly red skin, tiny eyes shut tightly, tiny button nose, tiny mouth, a mop of black hair on its head.

So is was a baby then.

"That is your son, Arima, he is fresh out of the operating room, we wanted you to take a look immediately because you are the father." The nurse kindly informed him with a smile.

He blinked, so this was his son? His blood and bones? Arima glanced at the calender, today was 20th December, his birthday. Now he had someone to share his birthday with.

No wonder why he felt his chest full of warm air when he looked at this child, no - his child. It was the same warmth back then with Fura that he had been looking for all these year. The correct term should be "familial love".

"You were given rights to name the baby. What would you like to call your son? "The nurse spoke again.

Ah, he did not thought of that matter, usually children in the Garden would be named by Washuu Tsuneyoshi himself, or one of the Washuus, he was surpised that they gave naming rights to him.

But then, this was his child, afterall.

"Ken. His name will be Arima Ken."


	3. Escape

Ken. The kanji word for strong. He had given his son that name because he was unable to thought of anything else.

It was...a little weird to think that now he has an alive blood relative. The idea of a child with Kishou's blood running around was quite overwhelming.

Overwhelming, but not unwelcomed.

Kishou thought as he looked at his son through the glass window. Ken had been put in the Garden's standard baby room. Since he was a part of a special project, the boy was given his own room. It was not much different from the other baby rooms, white marble floor and white walls, it was bare, the only funitures in the room are Ken's crib and his tray of necessities.

Why did the Garden had baby rooms? Oh, looks like he forgot to mention that the Garden was not simply an orphanage that raised child soldier. It was also a breeding system. Alduts with great fighting abilities would be forced to reproduce together, their offsprings will then be taken and raised by the Garden.

The adults themselves will relief. ced to reproduce again, the only difference is they will do it with a new partner. The doctors and scientists said it was to mix the genes up and avoid partners catching romantic feelings with each other. Afterall, their only mission was to rerpoduce.

Kishou's breeding project was deemed special, because the only sperm donor is him, and this project's sole purpose is to create soldiers than can surpass Arima Kishou.

And what about children that was too weak to fight? They would be sent to study medicine to become doctors/scientists or become supervisors of the Garden, watching over and taking care of domestic task for the Garden such as cooking and cleaning.

There was no way to escape the Garden, even if you were deemed useless, they would crack you open and find a use in you, if they couldn't find any, they would stuff one in.

Kishou can see it now. It's not just the Garden that was wrong, this whole world was wrong.

Why did the world let Washuus exist? Why did the world let humans kill each other? Why did it had to be so wrong?

Kishou didn't thought much when he named his son, maybe he remembered the word from a book, or maybe he named his son Ken in hope that one day he will be strong enough to destroy this wretched system for Kishou.

And Kishou may or may not named his son Ken because he wanted him to be the one who give Kishou strength to fix this wrong world.

The Garden had gave him naming rights, but did not let him raise Ken. Ken was going to be raised like every other child in the Garden. Well, not like Kishou knew how to raise a child anyway.

He do know of one way, it's the way Kishou himself was raised. But Kishou would rather kill himself than commiting such malicious act.

That's quite hypocritic. Kishou had taken many lives, broken many families. What rights did he have to say that something was malicious?

It was almost an hour already? It's time for Kishou to leave, then. He was only allowed to visit his son one hour a day.

He didn't want his son to become a merciless killing machine(like him). But how?

His mind was too much of a mess right now. That matter would be taken care of another day.

As much as Kishou wanted to stay with his son, he also needed to investigate further this warm air that appeared in his chest when he looked at his son. Because it was a bit different from the warmth he experienced with Fura.

And his only way to investigate those mysterious warmth was through books.

Kishou had done all his missions for the week, so he has plenty of free time at the moment. When he had made sure that no one was following him, he silently slipped through the small passage that led to the outside world.

Now where was that tavern that had a large bookcase and served excellent coffee?

\--o0o--

After two cups of coffee and three books later, Kishou was properly educated about human emotions.

The warmth he felt when he was with his son was called "familial love". And the warmth he felt when he was with Fura was called "friendship."

Hm... So many warmth, but that's not a problem. He will learn to distinguish them.

He wondered whether Fura still resided at that small town. It had been eight years afterall, he might have changed household. Or kingdom.

It's a shame that they hadn't been able to meet again. He valued Fura as a friend.

Kishou wasn't able to visit Fura in his free times, because Valka - the place where Fura lived, was too far from the Garden. And when Kishou was out of the Garden to do missions, there were supervisors following him, so he couldn't risk leading them to Fura.

An hour later, Kishou was back in his room in the Garden, preparing for sleep. Suddenly, his bedroom door was kicked open, the head doctor Jibari Housuke barged in, looking around frantically.

When the man spotted Kishou, who was sitting on his bed, already in sleeping attire, he sighed in relief.

"There you are Arima! Where have you been? I was looking for you all day!"

Kishou was confused. What did the doctor need him for? Did something happened to his son?

At that thought, Kishou's stomach twisted in unease.

"I was going to tell you some major news! Nothing negative don't worry!"The doctor said with a smile, unknowingly stopping Kishou's negative train of thought.

Nothing negative? Well, it's likely that his son was safe, then. Kishou was relieved.

"You can tell me now."

"Oh right, yes. I was going to tell you that another suitable lady has been found."

What?

"Now that your first child was born, why not give him some siblings? You are to report to the infirmary at eight tomorrow for the continuation of the project."

Realisation washed over Kishou like a wave of ice cold water. Of course, the Garden wanted to make Arima Kishous. One child wouldn't be enough.

He had been naïve to think that they would stop.

"That will be all, any questions Arima?"

In his shocked state, Kishou could only croak out a small 'no'.

The doctor nodded his head, wished him a good night and left, Kishou was left to wander in his own thought.

So he will have to rape someone again? He will have to experience the terrible feeling afterwards - guilt, one more time?

No, he doesn't want to. Kishou is not a masochist. Once was enough. He has stop this twisted project, both for him and the ladies, also for his son.

But how? Kishou asked himself again. The only way to make this project invalid was to either make the participants disappear or somehow make it show negative results.

The latter was obviously impossible. And the former, if the lady disappeared, then they would simply find another, in the Garden's eyes, everything was replaceable and expendable.

But what if, the point of this whole project, the reason why it even existed in the first place, disappears?

Now, that thought solved a lot of his problems. The point of this project was to create someone that can surpass Arima Kishou, no? Then what if Arima Kishou doesn't exist anymore?

What if the sperm donor of this project - Arima Kishou, doesn't exist anymore?

Then it would all be pointless. The answer he was looking for, how to not make his son a merciless killing machine - was finally revealed.

They have to escape the Garden.

But Kishou stopped at that thought again. He had yet to have his vengeance, he had yet to destroy this wretched system. How can he possibly thought of letting all the hatred in his veins that he bottled up for eighteen years of his life go to waste?

Actually, in a way, Kishou had ready have his vengeance. By doing something that never in a million years would the Garden allow him to do. It was forbidden, it was the greatest sin in their eyes.

To feel emotions.

Emotions is the thing that the Garden would never want Kishou - or any children that they raised, to have.

Oh, not just any emotions, it's familial love. He wasn't supposed to feel anything for his son, he wasn't supposed to feel emotions, he wasn't supposed to feel this warmth.

So he will let his hatred go to sleep for now, maybe it will wake up one day. But it's okay, he's already performed the greatest betrayal in the Garden's book.

And what about him wanting to destroy this wretched system? Well, to be honest, he can't. No one could destroy such a big organization alone. For now, he just want to escape the Garden, to live his life the way he wanted, to preserve the warmth he felt for his son.

Maybe his decision to not destroy Garden would comeback and bite him in the future, but that's for his future self to handle. Kishou is a realistic man, he only cares about what happens at present.

After he made up his mind, Kishou changed his sleeping attire into battle gear, packed some clothes and necessities into a large backpack. On his way out, he grabbed his two famed sword - IXA and Narukami.

He did something impulsive for the first time in his eighteen years of existence.

Kishou walked down the hall quietly like a cat, his senses on high alert. Even if the Garden's children sleeping quarters doesn't have guards, he still needs to be careful.

Fortunately, Kishou reached his son's room without any problem. Now he felt lucky that his son was given his own room, Kishou didn't felt confident in trying to not wake up other babies in the room if his son had roommates. Some supervisors will come and check if they heard the babies's cries.

There he is, Ken was sleeping soundly in his crib, not a trace of unease was present on his features.

Kishou suddenly felt an urge to protect such purity. His son can't be tainted with darkness.

Kishou then proceeded to stuff some of his son's necessities into his backpack, he was glad that the backpack he chose to bring with him had enough space.

After he was done with collecting things, Kishou carefully scooped his son up and held him tight in his chest, it would be hard to hold two swords and a baby at the same time so he put Narukami into its holster.

Balancing his son on one arm and holding a large sword in the other, it had been a miracle that Kishou was able to open the door at all.

He was glad that Ken was a deep sleeper, his son had not stirred in the slightest since he was picked up by Kishou. This was useful now, but he would need to fix this in the future. Staying alert all the time was a vital trait for soldiers.

Yes, that's right. Kishou was going to teach his son how to fight. You never know what can happen in this wretched world, some knowlegde about self defense never hurts.

Kishou was deep in his thought, but his senses hadn't dulled in the slightest. He noticed that someone was following him, they were trying to be stealthy, hiding in a dark corner and all.

However, he wasn't worried, as faint as the footsteps sounded, he could still analyse them quite well. Whoever followed him was not a trained soldier, because their steps were not controlled, it was light, so he assumed that they must be a female, likely one of the Garden's doctor or nurses.

But if they were, they would have called him out, because children of the Garden weren't allowed to be out of their room after ten, no matter how old.

So he did something bold.

"I know you are there, come out."

It was dangerous, if he let them live, he couldn't guarantee that they will not tell the Garden about his escape. But he didn't want to kill them either, he didn't want more blood to stain his hands.

More like he didn't want any blood to get on the cloth that his son was wrapped in.

A death inside the Garden would have been suspicious anyway.

He was going to call out again when a shadow nearby shifted, a feminine figure stepped into his sight. Although it was quite dark, he could still regconize her, he had a good memory afterall.

It was the mother of his son.


End file.
